Radiator overflow regulator



F -21, 940- J.E.ESHE;AUGH Em 2,191 611 RADIATOR OVERFLLOW REGULATORFiled Feb. 26. 195a 3nveutors es (I 5n AZ 776/50 ief ornegs I 25operation of overflow regulators.

Patented Feb. 27, 1940 RADIATOR OVERFLOW REGULATOR Jesse E. Eshbaugh andNelson Walker, Flint,

cln, assignors to General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application February 26, 1938,Serial No. 192,778

9 Claims.

To reduce loss of engine cooling liquid there is currently in favortheuse of overflow control valving for closing automobile engine coolingsystems.- The loss ispartly of vapors especially 6 when-a low boiling'point solution is employed and also of liquid due to overheating andsurging of the system contents from the engine jacket into the presentday small capacity vented inlet tank of the radiator assembly. 10 Apressure. relief valve closing the overflow vvent conserves the coolingmedium and enables operation of the system underslight pressure whichraises the boiling point of the liquid and increases the rate of, heatdissipation, the valve being set to relieve excess pressure and preventbursting strains on the weaker parts of the system and leakage at thehose connections and water pump packings. To avoid subnormal pressuresincident to a drop in system temperature 20 or other causes, it isdesirable that provision be made to bleed air into the system for therelief of internal depression.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement inthe construction and The improved structure is one comprising a fewsimple low cost parts which can be easily applied as an accessory deviceto the discharge end of the usual over- 30 tying the existing system. Asa commercial unit seat interposed'between the cage and fitting and 35 anintegrally formed elastic skirt extending into and lining the wall ofthe fitting in overlapping the outwardly opening valve housed by thecage,

- On the other hand internal depression and at- 45 mospheric pressureacting on the skirt will contract or deform the elastic material andthereby break the seal for the entrance of air through the port untilsubstantial balance is established. The arrangement and operation willbe better 50 understood upon reference to the accompanying drawingwherein Figure 1 is a side elevation showing anen'gine cooling system towhich the invention has been applied; Figure 2 is a fragmentary view ofthe closed filler spout, a por- 1 tion being shown in section as on line2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the valve unit takensubstantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a detail sectionshowing the vacuum relief valve in open position; Figure 5 is a per--spective view illustrating a modification. 5

In the drawing the reference numeral I indicates a water cooled enginehaving an outlet hose connection 2 with the inlet tank 3 on the radiatorcore 4. The radiator outlet tank 5 has a hose connection 6 with theinlet to'the pump 1 mounted on the front iace of the cylinder block I.The pump is driven from the engine crankshaft by a belt 8 which alsooperates the fan 9 for drawing air through the core 4. Associated withthe top tank 3 is a filler spout lllclosed by a removable cap llcarrying a sealing gasket l2.

The structure thus far described constitutes a conventional enginecooling system which also has an overflow vent pipe l3 leading from theupper region of the top tank 3 down the side of the radiator assemblysothat any discharge through the pipe will leave the system at a lowpoint. This discharge end of the overflow pipe affords a convenientlocation for an accessory valve device and in the drawing the structureof the valve device is shown in detail in Figure 3. It includesm housingformed of a pair of interconnected tubular members IA and IS. The memberll afford's'a fitting to be alined with and secured to the end of theoverflow pipe I3. A satisfactory connection may be had through the useof a rubber tube or coupling hose I6 fitted over the adjacent ends ofthe tubes l3 and I4. Intermediate its ends the tube It is 01' anenlarged diameter as at H and is provided with 38 one or more ports oropenings l8. The enlarged portion l'l terminates in an annular flange orshouldered portion l9 against which bears a valve seating washer 20 ofelastic deformable material such as rubber or Duprene, carrying as anin- 40 tegral extension thereof, a tapered annular wall or skirt 2|which lines the interior of the enlarged tubular wall ll in overflappingand sealing relation to the ports l8.

The washer 20 is held against the shoulder 46 Is by a flanged ring 22against which bears an annular flange 23 on the tubular member l5,

' the parts being held in assembled relation by It thus constitutes aretainer or cage for the valve 26 and its spring 21, the bottom wall ofthe cage having a depression 23 to locate the remote end of the spring.The wall of the de-' pression 28 may be apertured as at 29 andadditional openings 30 may be cut in the wall of the tube for dischargeof ball valve 23.

In thenormal operation of the system the ball any leakage past the 26closes the overflow and causes the system to operate under a slightpressure dependent upon the resistance of the valve seating spring 21.Satisfactory operation will be had if the spring is so selected that theball will open at three or -four pounds internal pressure to relievepressure I Figure 4 so that air enters through the openings l8 andpasses upwardly into the overflow pipe.

"snugly in the presence of To facilitate the inward bending of thetapered end portion of the skirt the peripheral surface ofthe skirt inalignment with the openings l8 may be provided with an annular groove 3|which reduces the width of the wall at this point and allows adistribution of. the pressure throughout the circumference of the skirt.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 5 the usual overflow vent maybe omitted or plugged and the filler spout 32 closed by an elastic tube33 whose lower end is of an outside diameter to fit snugly within theinterior of the spout 32. The other end of the tube 33 is pinchedtogether by a spring member 34 of U-shape in cross section so that thesystem is sealed. Internal pressures will expand the flexible tube 33 intight engagement with the filler spout and when a. prede-.- terminedtemperature is reached the upper end of the tube will be opjened by thespreading apart of the legs of the spring member 34. On the other handsuction internally of the system will break the seal between the spout32 and the flexible wall 33 for passing air into the system. Po-

sitioning lugs or buttons as at 35 may be carried by the flexible wallfor engagement with the upper edge of the spout 3,2 and ordinarily thefrictional fit of the parts will be sufiicient to prevent accidentaldislodgment of the closure. However, as a further .precaution againstdisplacement the spout may be provided with bayonet slots ,to receivethe buttons 35 and retain the removable closure in place.

We claim:

1. In a closed cooling system, a valved conduit including a rigid wallportion, an elastic wall por-,

tion having one end telescopically fitted to said rigid portion andadapted to be forced away from the rigid wall portion for passing airinto the conduit upon internal sub-atmospheric conditions and outwardlyopening pressure relief valve means for closing the other end portion ofsaid elastic wall portion. 7

2. In a closed cooling system, an elastic overflow conduit member,pressure relief means engaging said member, a rigid conduit memberexternally and telescopically 'fitted to the elastic member inwardly ofsaid pressure relief means and against which said elastic member bearsinternal pressure and from which the elastic member separates under theforce of external pressure for bleeding air into the system.

3. In a device of the character described, a tubular element having ashouldered portion, a valve seating washer in sealing engagement withsaid shoulder, a pressure relief valve seating on said washer to seal acentral aperture therethrough and an elastic skirt extending from thewasher into said tubular element and normally yieldingly sealing a portin the wall of the tubular element.

4. In combination, an open ended casing, a removable closure therefor,comprising a rubber tube fitted to said spout and distended by internalpressure into sealing contact therewith, said v seal being broken byexternal pressure acting on the tube to deform the same, and springclamp means squeezing the end of the tube to close the same, and beingadapted to yield for the relief of internal pressure.

5. A vent valve assembly-of the character described, including a housinghaving an intermediate shoulder and tubular portions projecting inopposite directions from the intermediate shoulder, a valve seatingwasher of elastic deformable material associated with said shoulder, aspring pressed outwardly opening valve seating on said washer and beingenclosed in one of the tubular portions, and a skirt formed integrallywith said washer and telescopically fitted to the interior wall surfaceof the other tubular portion to constitute an inwardly opening closurevalve for a port in the wall.

6. A radiator overflow valve, including a valve seating washer having anextended skirt of elastic deformable material, a tubular member fittedto said skirt and having an opening therein normally closed by theskirt, an outwardly opening valve seated on said washer, a valve seatingspring, and a tubular member enclosing said valve and seating saidspring, said tubular members having cooperating outturned flanges peenedone over the other and affording an annular recess to receive and locatesaid washer.

'7. A radiator overflow valve including a conduit terminating in ashouldered portion, a valve seating washer bearing on said shoulderedportion and having a skirt of elastic deformable material extended intosaid conduit inclose fitting relation to the interior surface thereoffor normally closing a port in the conduit wall, a retainer ring forsaid washer, a valve cage bearing on said ring and'secured to saidshouldered portion and a spring pressed valve enclosed by the cage andseated on said washer.

'8.' In a. radiator overflow valve assembly, a conduit member, outwardlyopening valve means for said member, a valve comprising a lining ofelastic deformable material affording a seat at one end for said valvemeans and being fitted to said member-inwardly of said valve means andproduit having an intake opening in the wall. thereof, a rubber bushingvalve fitted into the tube over said opening and. an outwardly openingcheck valve seating on the end of the rubber bushing outwardly-of saidintake opening.

JESSE E. ESHIBAUGH. NELSON Wm.

